Football manager and three of his children tragically die after tourist boast sinks as club release statement
Fernando Martin, the coach of Valencia CF’s Women’s B team, has died alongside three of his children after their tourist boat capsized in treacherous waters off the Indonesian coast.
The vessel encountered massive waves reaching 10ft in height near the popular tourist destination of Labuan Bajo, causing it to sink with 15 people aboard.
The Spanish football manager and his family were among the passengers when the ferry went down in the rough seas.
His wife Andrea and their seven-year-old daughter Mar were among those pulled from the water alive, with seven people in total rescued including four crew members and a tour guide.
Emergency rescue teams are currently conducting a search operation to recover the bodies of the Spanish coach and his three children.
Indonesia’s National Search and Rescue Agency released video showing personnel in blue uniforms assisting survivors, some without shoes, as they disembarked from an inflatable orange vessel onto dry land.
Additional footage captured passengers wearing life jackets aboard a rescue craft, while another clip depicted a similar boat cutting through the waves at night, spray flying as it navigated the darkness.
Fernando Martin was the coach of Valencia Women’s B team
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VALENCIACF
Andrea and young Mar were fortunate to escape the disaster that claimed four members of their family during what should have been a holiday excursion.
Valencia CF issued a statement confirming the devastating news, saying: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Fernando Martín, coach of Valencia CF Femenino B, and three of his children in a tragic boating accident in Indonesia, as confirmed by local authorities.”
The La Liga club extended its sympathies to those affected by the loss.
Valencia CF are deeply saddened by the passing of Fernando Martín, coach of Valencia CF Femenino B, and three of his children in a tragic boating accident in Indonesia, as confirmed by local authorities.
At this extremely difficult time, the Club would like to express its… pic.twitter.com/JCXvw69LlK
— Valencia CF (@valenciacf_en) December 27, 2025
“At this extremely difficult time, the Club would like to express its deepest condolences and full support to his family, friends and colleagues at Valencia CF, Valencia CF Femenino and the VCF Academy,” the statement continued.
The tribute acknowledged Martin’s role within the club’s women’s football setup and the wider academy structure.
Authorities have shut down Padar Island to visitors as a result of the severe weather conditions in the region.
Indonesia has a troubling record when it comes to maritime safety, with boat accidents occurring frequently across the archipelago.
Such incidents are often attributed to inadequate safety regulations and adverse weather patterns that can catch vessels off guard.
The tragedy comes amid a spate of similar maritime disasters affecting tourists worldwide in recent days, including incidents near Thailand, Laos and the Dominican Republic.
The closure of Padar Island reflects the ongoing dangerous conditions that contributed to the fatal capsizing, as rescue operations continue in the waters near Labuan Bajo.
